My "UNLUCKY" Day

[91f2504x4]

Well I finished up everything on my truck today, I had all the paint done, got everything fixed including my RABS problem (I had to put a new sensor in the rear end) , so I took the truck for a drive and it was running better than ever (at least it felt that way with everything looking good again). I ran to the local gas station and topped it off because I was going to make a trip to my parents to show it off to them. Everything was great on the way there and then on the way home I was climbing the big hill before our house and I heard a strange rattle that I had never heard before and it kept getting worse. I pulled in the driveway and quickly killed the engine. I was trying to think of what it could possibly be when I got out and looked under the truck and I see a couple nuts with bolts broke off in them. I thought for a second and then I realized where I had seen those before. They were the nuts from the LUCKY MOD. I was so frustrated at first because this will be the 3rd time I have had to pull the tranny in the last 6 months. But I tried to not get mad and just started taking things apart to get to the problem. I was worried that maybe I had just overlooked getting grade 8 Bolts but when I took it apart, sure enough they were grade 8 and everyone of them were snapped in half. So I tore everything down and got the flywheel out and here are the pics.

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I heard the rest of them hit the road while climbing the hill but wasn't sure what it was.

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Everyone of them were snapped off in the exact same place.

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You can see in this picture that they were indeed "Grade 8" Bolts.

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Unfortunately I am getting pretty good at pulling the transmission and have it down to about half an hour so tomorrow I get to put it all back. But where do I get "GOOD" Grade 8 bolts. The ones I use were from tractor supply and were supposed to be grade 8 but apparently were not. Maybe I should wait til monday and visit fastenal for some good bolts. As you can see from the pics the loc-tite held fine and kept the nuts on the bolts.

 

[dyoung14]

sorry to hear that i hope you get your problem solved

 

[6 Nebraska IDIs]

CATERPILLAR ALL THE WAY MAN! No joke, there's nothing like CAT bolts. Find yourself a Caterpillar service shop and they will get you what you need. You will break your crank before you'll break a CAT bolt.

 

[icanfixall]

True about Cat bolts. If they can't help find a fastner supply and ask for B13 grade material. B 9 is grade 8 stock material. I have used B16 in the steam generating field for years....

 

[Cincinnati Guy]

I think in mcmaster or grainger I seen some Grade 12 bolts.

 

[razorback]

fastenal has about every bolt you will ever need. www.fastenal.com find a local dealer on their site, their catalog is about 3 inches thick.

do you happen to know your hp/tq numbers?

 

[91f2504x4]

fastenal has about every bolt you will ever need. www.fastenal.com find a local dealer on their site, their catalog is about 3 inches thick.

do you happen to know your hp/tq numbers?

No, but right before the bolts broke I was pushing 15+ psi of boost and when I let out of it to slow down for a turn I started to hear that awful noise from the flywheel, and then I pretty much coasted all the way home. As far as my turbo goes I hold 2 or 3 psi constantly as long I am not braking. I noticed even going down hill will no load today that the needle was still not all the way on 0 ( barely over 1 psi or so) until I let all the way off the pedal and hit the brakes.

 

[cm1hedge]

That just made my mind up whether to go Lucky mod or SMF

 

[91f2504x4]

That just made my mind up whether to go Lucky mod or SMF

Well at least someone benefitted from this post. I wish i wasn't having to do this again, but I think I might go ahead and drill the holes out to 1/2" to use bigger bolts and surely that will add some strength to it.

 

[cm1hedge]

The best of luck to you. Maybe you could go a longer bolt and cut off the excess threads. It seems to me the threads are the weak link.

 

[91f2504x4]

The best of luck to you. Maybe you could go a longer bolt and cut off the excess threads. It seems to me the threads are the weak link.

I might just do that, I am going to do everything I can to make it as strong as possible this time, so that I don't have to pull that stinking transmission again. With the location of my turbocharger, everytime I pull the trans I have to take it all loose too.

 

[RLDSL]

Fastenal has top quality 'merican made bolts all properly graded for industrial use. the stuff you find at tractor supply or any hardware store is most likely made in china and it's anyones guess what random spec they used that day it was made. OK for non critical stuff where a grade 8 is overkill, but when a real grade 8 is needed, go for the good stuff. You will pay a premium.

the local ford dealer gets all of the bolts that they use for flywheel to crankshaft from Fastenal instead of ordering in the high dollar ford bolts and they've never had a failure, so I went the same route on mine.

 

[DeepRoots]

shoot, thats not too bad of a day. sounds pretty good compared to this last week in my life.

 

[Diesel JD]

Sounds like maybe not a good week Drew?

 

[6.9poweredscout]

yea i was going to use grade 8 for the scout flywheel to the crank, but i was told the ford bolts were a special hardened and grade 8 are not for that. i put up the $60ish for all the ford bolts.

-Jon